Guiding Principals of “Decision Points”
"My favorite Bible verse for politicians is Matthew 7:3 - 'Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye.'" (Decision Points, page 266)
Decision Points
When I first picked up Decision Points by President George Bush I did not exactly know what to expect. Throughout his presidency, Mr. Bush had always been portrayed as some what of a bumbling simple minded fellow. His public speaking abilities did not help this image (which Mr. Bush makes light of several times in the book), and Mr. Bush rarely ever publicly defended himself against the lampoons and mockery that seemed to follow him in the press.
What I found in this book is a detailed account of fourteen different issues, or decision points, that Mr. Bush encountered in his life both on a personal, professional, and presidential level. In each account Mr. Bush does an excellent job of sharing the background on each issue, including some very personal moments, and then discusses the decision he made and why he made it. Along the way we learn about how Mr. Bush approaches problem solving and many of the experiences that have shaped his life and decision making abilities. The reader does get Mr. Bush's take on the positions that were against his decisions, but it is written in way that explains his decision and not negatively towards those who were opposed to it. He could have very easily used this medium as a parting shot to his critics but he chose not to.
I found Mr. Bush's approach to solving complex and explosive issues very sound and an example I can follow. In Chapter 4, Mr. Bush describes his thought processes when dealing with the issue of stem cell research. Here is where the reader begins to get a clear sense of how methodical Mr. Bush was when contemplating difficult issues which is something that was clearly not portrayed in the media.
"I told Margaret and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Bolten that I considered this a far-reaching decision. I laid out a process for making it. I would clarify my guiding principles, listen to experts on all sides of the debate, reach a tentative conclusion, and run it past knowledgeable people. After finalizing a decision, I would explain it to the American people. Finally, I would set up a process to ensure that my policy was implemented." (Decision Points, page 114)
How many of us today could say that they have guiding principals in their life? Mr. Bush talks about some of his indirectly in this chapter and you realize just what a monumental struggle it was for him to think clearly on this issue. On the one hand, Mr. Bush is pro-life and felt strongly about protecting human life in all of it's forms, even if that life is just an embryo. On the other hand, he had lost a sibling to leukemia, one of many diseases that stem cell research is being used to seek a cure. It was clear to me after finishing this chapter that this decision was far more a personal one more than a political one and his own political career was not a factor.
I was also impressed just how much time and effort Mr. Bush put into this decision making progress. He met extensively with people from both sides of the argument; doctors, researchers, patients, and religious leaders such as Pope John Paul II. When he did reach what he thought to be his decision, in called in more experts to listen to his line of thinking and weigh in on his approach. In the end, he made a decision that not only allowed research to continue on existing stem cells with federal funding it stopped funding for stem cell research that destroyed additional embryos.
While many praised the President's decision there were many who were against it. Over time, their voices became louder as it appeared that it could be a political benefit for some. This is where a lot of the negativity regarding Mr. Bush begins to bubble up and the attacks against him become increasingly more personal. Mr. Bush addresses this hostility and attacks on his character in this chapter.
"Some have said I should have pushed back harder against the caricatures. But I felt it would debase the presidency to stoop to the critics' level. I had run on a promise to change the tone in Washington. I took that vow seriously and tried to do my part, but I rarely succeeded." (Decision Points, page 125).
Whether Mr. Bush intended it or not, this chapter very much set the tone for me as I read the remaining "decision points". I highlighted several passages in this chapter (on the Nook - it's really easy!) and I found myself reviewing them several times. I wanted to see if I could see Mr. Bush applying the same principals and decision making processes as he reached other milestones in his presidency. I quickly learned that he did.
Up next: 9/11/01
I welcome your comments below.
I’m Nooked.
Yep, I did it. I took the plunge. I spent $250 on a Nook Color from Barnes and Noble.
I would consider myself a light to moderate reader. I keep a book in the living room most of the time and read when I find the time. I have had some moderate interest in the new wave of e-readers that are on the market but during the holidays my curiosity piqued. Why? Was it my insatiable need to read? To learn life's lessons through the written page? Well, it was more the cash gifts I had received from several family members that started burning a hole in my pocket. But, yeah, I wanted to read, too.
I am not going to take your time telling you how much I love my Nook and why I chose the Nook Color over the others out there. I'll just tell you why I went to e-readers.
1. The books are about 50% cheaper. Yep. That should be enough right there to make you run out and buy one. But wait.. there's more..
2. You don't have to go to your local bookstore to buy the book. You download it over the air. That's right, *Texas drawl START* "It flies over da air and lands inna box in yer lap" *Texas drawl STOP*. It is way cool to be browsing the titles on this nifty pad, download some sample chapters to see if you like it, and then click a button and it's on your box in about 10 seconds. Sweet.
The Nook Color by Barnes and Noble is my pick..
3. It's got lots of doo-hickeys that help you while you read the book. I can highlight, make notes on pages, bookmark, look up words, and post passages on Facebook/Twitter/Email all with a wave of my finger. That's slicker than a Texas overpass during an ice storm.
4. You have a fairly decent selection of national and local newspapers and magazines that can be downloaded in full color. I downloaded the New York Times this past Sunday and I have read quite a bit of it. Best part is it stays on your tablet until you tell it not to so you are in no rush to read the extra sections. After you are done, you simply delete it and it goes away. No piles of newspaper on the kitchen floor.
As Mrs. Bubba will testify, I spend more time reading now in the evenings than I have ever done in the past. I am reading Decision Points by George W. Bush and The Rite by Matt Balgio. Both of which you will start seeing notes and commentary on this site for very soon.
Now, take my advice, and go out and get you an e-reader. You won't regret it. (Nook Color is best.... )
Up Till Now – Last Words
I finally had time over the holidays to finish William Shatner's autobiography Up Till Now. It's the first autobiography I have read in a while and it certainly won't be the last as I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
When I read an autobiography I always go into it with a certain philosophy in mind - learn from other's mistakes. There is so much that we learn about ourselves when we make mistakes (if we are paying attention that is..) and an autobiography is someone putting all of their mistakes out there for us to learn from. It's something that should not be passed up.
It was a lot of fun reading about all of the roles Bill has played throughout his life, including drama, comedy, documentaries, and he has even appeared on numerous game shows. Bill's writing style is somewhat rough around the edges and you will find his book tends to ramble in some parts. However, outside of the craziness and humor of his life there are some touching moments when you get a look at the Bill behind the macho-image. You read about Bill the widow whose second wife died from drowning in their swimming pool (she was an alcoholic). You also learn about Bill's love for horses and how much he respects their beauty and strength. Reading between the lines of this book you watch Bill grow up in a sense from a struggling, strong minded actor living in his car AFTER Star Trek is canceled to the sensitive Bill who plays Denny Crane on Boston Legal and develops friendships that many of us would be jealous of.
William Shatner Signs Copies Of 'Up Till Now: The Autobiograpy' (www.life.com)
Ok, so after spending a lot of time with Bill reading about his mistakes (and of course his many successes...), what did I take away from it? Bill's autobiography presents a challenge because of the sheer amount of detail and story lines but I paid close attention.
First of all, Bill was not afraid to try anything. It seemed with almost every turn of the page Bill is doing something completely different. He did a movie in a language no one had ever heard of (with subtitles), he published a singing album which to this very day is still talked about (somewhat lightly...), his roles as an actor were on both ends of the spectrum and every point in between, and he chased an elephant out of an encampment while shooting a documentary in Africa. Bill is the poster child for "Carpi Diem - Seize the day!"
Secondly, Bill's "try anything" came with a price. In the book Bill talks about how precious spending time with his daughters is to him and that he had missed a lot of that in his life due to his career. His first marriage failed for a number of reasons but one of them was due to work. Between the lines Bill illustrates to us that balance in your work and personal life is critical to happiness, and that if you don't have it, you will regret it later in life.
Lastly, the last chapter of the book is the most telling. Shatner describes his time as Denny Crane on the show Boston Legal and the wonderful friendship he develops with James Spader. He also touches on a number of other friendships and you see the evolution of Shatner almost complete. He starts in the book focused on himself and his career and ends the book focused on others - his family and friends. In his own, quirky and somewhat rambling way, he tells us how important it is to have people around you that care. At one point he shows concern for his own mortality and fear of losing his faculties one day just as his character Denny Crane was. The people around him propped him up, supported him, and loved him. Yes, I am talking about Bill and Denny both.
Whether you are an avid Star Trek fan, Denny Crane admirer, or just looking for a good autobiography about quite a character, this book is a good read. Nice job, Bill!
Chapter 7
Getting through Chapter 7 in Up Till Now was a real treat. Shatner spends some time talking about what led up to the resurrection of Star Trek up to the motion picture being made. With all of the success the original series was having in syndication and the cult following it had generated, it seems that Paramount was going to launch a new television network and make "Star Trek II" it's major show. There was a lot of talk about this show until the movie Star Wars opened up, and shortly thereafter Close Encounters of the Third Kind premiered. After that, the television show was no longer on the table and the feature film was born.
From Leonard Nimoy's Twitter page - Making of the movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Shatner tells some interesting stories. Apparently the motion picture was originally going to be made without Spock as Nimoy was in a dispute with the studio over merchandising rights and other legal matters. They obviously finally came around and wrote Spock into the movie. Another little known fact is that the director chosen for the motion picture, Robert Wise, had never seen an episode of Star Trek. Never. He did not have a clue how these characters should interact, their histories, or anything else about the Star Trek universe. Shatner and Nimoy tried to inject some of the light humor that is found in the series but the director would squash it and make them re-shoot the scene. Shatner goes on to say that he hates this movie for that very reason. It was very cold, very stark in the relationship between the characters, and instead of focusing on those relationships that made the series work instead the director chose to make the Enterprise the focus of the movie. This, of course, explains all of the long sequences in the movie that are focused around showing the Enterprise.
Shatner's take on the filming of the movie and the problems they encountered not only with direction but in plot makes the chapter a very interesting read. The next chapter starts out with T.J. Hooker references so I can't wait to hear his thoughts on that beat cop...
-Jeff
Up Till Now.. A revelation?
Ok it's time I start writing again, and what better way to get started than to talk about a book I am reading. I am about 1/2 way through William Shatner's latest autobiography (yes, he has written others about specific times in his life..) that is called "Up Till Now".
Bill Shatner's latest Autobiography
You can tell this product is very different than his others, even though there is another writer working with him on this one. Shatner rambles on quite a bit but all of it is interesting and a lot of it humorous.
One thing that jumped out at me as I was reading was in Chapter 6 when he is describing his life immediately after Star Trek was canceled. It surprised me to learn that he was flat broke after making that series, in the throws of a divorce, and was working in local theaters to make ends meet. He bought himself a pickup truck with a camper bed and was living in the parking lot of theater he was working at in some local production. It would be years and years before Shatner saw a dime from his Star Trek role as Captain Kirk outside of his regular paycheck for each episode. Apparently back then the actors did not have any of the contracts they do today where they are paid portions of profits for syndication runs, merchandise, etc. It was not until years later when Star Trek had really taken off and he started doing conventions is when he started making money again as Captain Kirk. He did a lot of movies and other television shows in the mean time struggling to make ends meet which he talks about a lot in his book.
Where is this going in my blog post? No where really. I am a fan of Shatner's work and of Star Trek and this section of the book came as a real surprise. I guess I just assumed he made lots of money as an American Icon in Star Trek. He was a struggling actor for many years, a guy like the rest of us trying to make ends meet, and work that he did in his past did not pay dividends until much later in his life.
Maybe we could all take a lesson from that. More later as I get through Chapter 7.
-Jeff
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